Sign-casing.



E. E. LAMBE. SIGN CASING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1911.

1,005,719. Patented Oct. 10, 1911 EdwZnlZL am 5 e EDWIN E. LAMBE, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

SIGN-CASING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 10, Mill.

Application filed February 7, 1911. Serial No. 607,075.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN E. LAMBE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, in the county of Fairficld and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sign-Casings,

of which the following is a specification.

The present invention provides a sign casing designed for vehicles and most especially for the class of vehicles required to display a. lightand a number, the latter designating the license or identification character so that in the event of an emergencythe ownership of the vehicle or conveyance may be ascertained.

The invention provides a sign casing intended for automobiles and which is used for displaying the identification number bothduring the day and at night, said number being illuminated after dark so as to be readily distinguished.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts, which hereinafter will 'be more particularly set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the; drawings, forming a part of the specification, Figure 1 1s a top plan new of a lamp embodying the invention. Fig. is a front View of the lamp, an end portion being broken away. Fig. 3

is a sect-ion on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a. horizontal section on the line 44 of Fig. 2, showing the parts on a larger scale and having a portion broken away.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and indi- (cated in all the views of the drawings, by-

the same reference characters.

The body of the casing comprises a bottom 1, a top, a front, a back 2 and ends The back 2 comprises oppositely inclined walls so that the space inclosed between the front and the back is deepest at a middle point and gradually diminishes toward opposite ends. The top is movable to admit of access being readily had to the interior of the body, particularly for changing the number plates, and is formed of two plates 4' which are pivoted at 6 so as to swing rearwardly in a horizontal plane. This construction admits of the use of a lamp of a height to project above the top of the body or casing. The back of the lamp body has a projection 7 to which is fitted sockets or other mcanswhereby the lamp may be attached to the vehicle or other support. The number plate 9 is fitted in grooves or guides formed in the ends and the top and the bottom of the body and may consist of a stencil so that the light from the lamp may shine through the numbers and disclose the same at night. It is also contemplated to use a plate 9 for each number or character and to insert the same in guideways formed in bars 10 extending vertically at intervals in the length of the front and supported at their ends in an upper bar 11 and the bottom 1. In the event of thenunr berplate consisting of a stencil it may be backed-by a'plate 12, which during the day will make the numbers of the stencil discernible and through which at night rays of light from the lamp may shine. The back plate 12'may be plain or colored as desired.

The illuminating lamp maybe of any construction and as shown it comprises a fount 13, a detachable burner 14 having a gallery 15, a globe 16 and a cap l7,the latter proj ectingabove the top of the casing or lamp body.

The inner or front sides of the forwardly divergent walls comprising the back 2 may be finished in any manner and are usually polished to act as reflectors for throwing the rays of light through the number plate at the front of the lamp body. In the day time the number or other matter appearing at the front of the lamp may be read in the usual manner, but at night said number plate is illuminated by means of the illuminating lamp, which throws its rays of light through the plate bearing the numbers whether said plate be translucent or a sinncil. When it is required to change the number plate, as when passing from one jurisdiction to another the top of the lamp body or casing is moped, thereby admitting of the substitution of one plate by another.

The top may be held in closed posit-ion upon the lamp body by suitable means such as catches 20, the latter being located at the front corners of the casing so as to hold the I From theforegoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation Will, be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and While I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device Which I now consider to be the embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be. madewh'en desired as are within. thescope of the claims appended hereto.

Having In combination a l amp body or casing adapted to receive an illummatmglamp and thus described the invention whet. is claimed as new, 1s:-

open at the front to receive a number plate and comprising a sectional top, the sections 20 havingcpivotal connection at their inner rear corners with the lamp body, catches at in presence oitwo'wi'tnesses. v

EDWIN E LAMBE.

Witnesses: I I

F. Srnvnne, E. G. REEF. 

